


Friday Dates

by HopeSilverheart



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Clalec BroTP - Freeform, Clary Fray & Alec Lightwood Friendship, Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Insecure Isabelle Lightwood, POV Isabelle Lightwood, alec lightwood is a good friend, secret meetings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-29
Updated: 2020-05-29
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:21:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24446509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HopeSilverheart/pseuds/HopeSilverheart
Summary: “I just find it weird, that’s all,” she told Jace one day. She was trying to act nonchalantly but could tell her brother wasn’t fooled. “I know, okay? I know I sound a bit crazy and like I’m making things up, but it happens every single week, Jace! On top of that, she does it on the only day when Alec isn’t here to keep an eye on things. You have to admit it sounds bad.”Or: Clary sneaks out of the Institute every Friday morning, and Isabelle thinks she's up to something.
Relationships: Clary Fray & Alec Lightwood, Clary Fray/Isabelle Lightwood, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 154





	Friday Dates

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ToTheStarsWriting](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ToTheStarsWriting/gifts).



> based on a prompt Val suggested on the Malec server!

At first, Izzy thought she was being paranoid.

She and Clary had started dating a few months ago and everything had been going well. They had settled into their new roles in each other’s lives surprisingly fast. Izzy found herself falling in love with her girlfriend more and more each day.

They spent all their time together, going as far as to move into a bigger room together at the Institute. Izzy had even started looking for a place for them to live long-term. She knew most shadowhunters spent their whole lives within a single Institute, but after seeing her big brother flourish in Magnus’ loft, Izzy was desperate for a home of her own.

The point was, when Clary started sneaking out every Friday morning like clockwork, Izzy noticed. The first few times, she assumed her girlfriend was getting some extra training in or going out for a jog whilst the air was still fresh and the streets empty. However, that theory was disproved when Izzy woke up early one week and spotted Clary leaving the room dressed in casual clothes.

Clothes she usually wore when they went out somewhere. Still, Izzy didn’t say anything. If Clary wanted to keep a secret, Izzy wasn’t going to call her out on it. Besides, there was a chance her girlfriend was planning something for her, and she _definitely_ didn’t want to ruin a surprise.

After four months of the same routine, though, Izzy was starting to get suspicious. She didn’t want to think about her girlfriend cheating on her or going behind her back for something big, but… What else could she possibly be doing?

“I just find it weird, that’s all,” she told Jace one day. She was trying to act nonchalantly but could tell her brother wasn’t fooled. “I _know_ , okay? I know I sound a bit crazy and like I’m making things up, but it happens every single week, Jace! On top of that, she does it on the only day when Alec isn’t here to keep an eye on things. You have to admit it sounds bad.”

“I’ll admit nothing of the sort,” her brother snorted, cleaning the last of his blades after their evening patrol. “The only thing I’m getting from this conversation is that you’ve officially gone insane. Clary loves you, Izzy. Anyone who has eyes can see that. Now stop panicking about your girlfriend’s every move and get to work on that whip. It’s disgusting.”

Despite Jace’s reassuring words, Izzy’s suspicions didn’t lessen. If anything, they got worse. Her mind liked to come up with the worst case scenarios, the ones that woke her up in the middle of the night just to make sure Clary was still there. She had even briefly wondered whether the redhead had found another warlock to resurrect her mother but dismissed that idea as quickly as it had come. That much dark magic wouldn’t have gone unnoticed.

She thought about asking Alec for his help but ended up scrapping that plan. Her brother only got a few hours off every week and she wasn’t about to ruin them by asking him to babysit her girlfriend. No, she could take care of this herself. Or at least, with minimal help.

With Alec out of the question, her only option was Jace. Of course, there was the small matter of convincing him she wasn’t going crazy, but she could deal with that. She had enough blackmail material to make him do her bidding for _years_. This little favour was nothing compared to some of the other things she had forced him to do.

“I still think this is ridiculous,” Jace rolled his eyes. “Clary’s going to catch you and you’re going to realise she was out taking photos or something and we’re never going to hear the end of this. Do you really think Clary would cheat on you?”

The simple answer was no. No, Izzy didn’t think Clary would ever do that to her – or to anyone, really. Her girlfriend was too kind and compassionate to do anything of the sort. Rationally, Izzy knew that. Unfortunately, she wasn’t known to be the most rational person out there.

Sometimes, her mind got the better of her. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Clary, not at all. It had nothing to do with Clary at all, if she really thought about it. This was about her insecurities and her worries and the certainty that she didn’t deserve someone as perfect as Clary Fray.

“Just… Keep an eye out for her, okay?” Izzy didn’t meet her brother’s gaze, but she could feel the concern pouring off him in waves. “I’m going to follow her under a weak glamour and see if I can find out what she’s doing. If I lose her and she comes back here, call me. You’re not going to be involved at all, she won’t even know you helped me.”

Jace sighed exasperatedly but nodded, ruffling her hair as he headed towards his bedroom. Izzy scowled at his back before doing the same thing. She had purposefully decided to go to bed earlier than usual. Clary was busy with mission reports, so Izzy could slip into bed and fall asleep before her girlfriend was even done with work.

Usually, they tried to wait for each other and cuddle a little before drifting off, but Izzy knew she’d give something away if she waited up for her. Raziel, what was she doing? Why couldn’t she have just asked Clary about the sneaking out? Maybe there was a perfectly reasonable excuse and Izzy was making a huge deal out of nothing.

Jace was right. If she got caught, she would never hear the end of it. That was if Clary didn’t break up with her on the spot.

She barely slept that night, too busy tossing and turning and thinking over her ridiculous plan. She could still back out of it, could still decide to simply ask her girlfriend about her Friday morning disappearances. There were so many options, all of them better than the one she had chosen.

The next morning, she woke a few minutes before Clary, her internal alarm obviously aware that she had been planning something. She waited until Clary had gotten dressed and closed the door behind her before rushing out of bed, grabbing the clothes she had prepared the night before, and heading out.

She applied the glamour rune on her way out of the Institute, sending a weak grin Jace’s way and quickening her pace in order to catch up with Clary. For someone so small, her girlfriend was ridiculously fast.

Thankfully, Izzy had been quick and ready, and it only took her a few seconds to spot Clary’s bright red hair in the mostly-empty streets. It was late enough that most coffee shops had opened, but early enough that anyone who didn’t have to head to work would still be in bed. Izzy had to admit Clary had chosen the perfect time frame.

They walked for what felt like hours but was probably only minutes. Clary looked perfectly at ease, not at all like she was about to meet with a secret mistress. With every second that passed, Izzy felt more and more like a stalker.

Just as she convinced herself to turn around and go back to the Institute, her girlfriend stopped in front of a cosy-looking coffee shop and stepped inside. Izzy took a few steps forward, just enough to be able to look through the window. Her girlfriend was smiling happily at the barista, probably rattling off an order for one of her overly-sweet coffees. She left the counter with not one, but two drinks, and Izzy clenched her jaw.

So Clary _was_ meeting up with someone behind her back. She wondered who it was. Maia, perhaps? The two of them had always been close, much to Izzy’s dismay. Or perhaps it was someone else, a mundane whom Izzy had never met. She didn’t know which option she preferred. Would she rather find out her girlfriend was cheating on her with someone she knew, or a random stranger who-

“Izzy?”

She spun around, gaping at the sight of her big brother. What was _Alec_ doing here? Was this coffee shop really that amazing? And why had no one told her about it?

“Alec? What are you doing here?” she frowned, glancing back towards Clary to make sure her mystery date hadn’t arrived yet. Thankfully, the second chair was still empty. “I didn’t know you came here.”

Better to play it off like she had been meeting up with Clary all along. She really didn’t want another one of her brothers to make fun of her for her paranoia. It wasn’t like Clary and she never went out on dates. She could just tell him they had wanted to try something different. That could work.

“I come here every week,” Alec chuckled. “In fact, my date is probably waiting for me right now.”

“Magnus is here?” Izzy asked, perking up. The more people she had behind her when she confronted Clary, the better. With witnesses around, her girlfriend wouldn’t be able to deny anything. “Weird, I didn’t think this was the sort of place he’d go to. I thought he just conjured breakfast from whichever country struck his fancy?”

“He does,” Alec answered with a lopsided grin. “But I’m not here to meet up with him. Actually, now that I think about it, we’re probably here to see the same person. Strange, since I’m quite sure I was the only one to get an invitation. Tell me, does Clary know you’re here?”

It took Izzy a few seconds to understand what her brother was implying. Once she did, her jaw dropped and she stuttered out a few nonsensical words, her gaze flicking from Alec to Clary and back again.

“Wait a second, _Clary’s_ your date?” she exclaimed. “I thought you two couldn’t stand each other. What- I- When did this happen? How did I miss this? How did I not know you guys were friends? And why didn’t you tell me about your Friday meetings?!”

“As curious as ever, I see,” Alec chuckled. “Maybe we should join Clary first. I wouldn’t want her to think I ditched her. Besides, didn’t someone ever tell you how creepy it is to stare at people without them knowing you’re there? Because it definitely is. I thought I’d taught you better manners than that, Isabelle.”

Izzy opened her mouth to protest and say that she had just been worried and anxious and rightfully suspicious, but Alec was already walking into the shop, waving at Clary cheerfully.

Izzy took a few moments to just look at the two of them interacting. As soon as she saw Alec, Clary stood up and engulfed him in one of her tight hugs. They looked ridiculous, what with Alec being more than a head taller than Clary, but Izzy’s heart melted a little at the picture they painted. The pair smiled at each other brightly for a few moments before Alec turned towards her.

Clary followed his gaze and Izzy winced as her girlfriend’s eyes widened. She wasn’t sure how she was going to get out of this one. She only hoped Clary forgave her and didn’t dump her for being too paranoid or anxious or something like that. Hopefully, Alec would back her up. He knew how she got about the people she loved.

Gathering up all her courage, Izzy stepped into the coffee shop and waved at Clary weakly. She tried to force a smile onto her face but knew it looked more like a grimace than anything else.

“Hi,” she said once she reached Alec and Clary’s table. “Fancy seeing you here.”

For a second, the three of them stood there awkwardly, although Alec looked more amused than anything else. Clary, on the other hand, was staring at Izzy as though she couldn’t quite understand why her girlfriend was interrupting her Friday morning’s with _Alec_.

Yeah, Izzy couldn’t blame her.

“Oh my god,” the redhead finally breathed out, biting her lip. It took Izzy a moment to realise Clary was holding back laughter. As soon as she noticed the aborted giggle, she crossed her arms defensively. She wasn’t about to let her girlfriend and brother gang up on her and tease her for being a bit crazy. “You followed me here, didn’t you?”

A blush crept up Izzy’s face as she nodded reluctantly.

“I told you she’d get suspicious,” Alec piped up, shaking his head fondly. “I’ll go order something for Izzy, but I’ll be back in a second. You two should… talk.”

With that, he hurried towards the counter, leaving Izzy alone with Clary. She hadn’t felt this uncomfortable around her girlfriend since their first date. Really, she hadn’t thought this through at all. How was she supposed to justify her actions? Was there any reason she could give that wouldn’t make her come off as an overly possessive and jealous partner?

“Will you please sit down?” Izzy’s gaze snapped back to Clary, who had apparently sat back down at some point. “You’re making me nervous, standing there with a vacant look in your eyes. I’m not going to yell at you, you know?”

“You’re not?” Izzy asked slowly, lowering herself into the seat across from Clary. “I wouldn’t blame you if you did. I mean, I did follow you all the way from the Institute like a stalker. I wouldn’t exactly call that ideal girlfriend behaviour. I just… I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for not trusting you.”

“Izzy,” Clary interrupted, putting her hand down palm up on the table. Hesitantly, Izzy covered it with her own, curling her fingers around Clary’s. “It’s fine. Alec told me you’d probably follow me at some point and I accepted it. I’m surprised it took you so long, honestly.”

“You are?” Izzy’s eyebrows flew up. “And you don’t mind?”

“You’re allowed to be suspicious about your girlfriend sneaking out every week, Iz,” Clary snorted. “I just wish you’d have felt comfortable enough talking to me about it instead of having to follow me.”

“It’s not that I don’t trust you,” Izzy rushed to correct her. “Or that I don’t feel comfortable around you. I just get a bit paranoid sometimes. I promise I’ll try to do better in the future.”

Clary smiled at her softly, squeezing her hand reassuringly. That look spoke louder than words, and Izzy knew she had truly been forgiven. She relaxed just as Alec plopped into the seat next to her, grinning widely.

“Everything alright?” he asked. “Or am I going to have to fix things myself?”

“We’re good,” Clary rolled her eyes. “Now drink your coffee before it gets cold. I didn’t pay for that abomination just for you to let it go to waste.”

“How dare you call this an abomination?” Alec gaped. Izzy watched the exchange between the two people she loved most in the world, slightly in awe. “You take your coffee just as sweet as I take mine, Fray, so don’t start with the insults. I can easily revoke your pancake privileges.”

“Magnus would never take those away from me,” Clary retorted, though she wisely stopped teasing Alec. “Talking about Magnus, how is he? You said he had an annoying client today, right? Did he whine when you woke up and left him alone in bed?”

“Doesn’t he always?” Alec sighed long-sufferingly.

The two of them kept talking as though Izzy wasn’t even there. Occasionally, Clary would squeeze her hand and Alec would ask her a question, but Izzy was mostly content to observe the strangely domestic scene.

She was suddenly very glad she had decided to follow Clary instead of asking her about her Friday meetings directly. She wasn’t sure she would have believed her girlfriend if she had told her she was going on coffee dates with her brother.

Sitting there, though, she could see how well they fit together. She could see it in the easy way Alec laughed and in the way Clary’s gaze softened every time Alec smiled at her.

She had imagined hundreds of different scenarios about Clary’s Friday morning sneak-outs, but the real thing? It was better than anything she could have dreamed of.

**Author's Note:**

> Heya guys! Thank you so much for reading! And thank you to [Cor](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cor321) for going over and beta'ing this fic! I apologise for the onslaught of Clizzy and Fraywood content, but they make me so happy! I hope you enjoyed this ^^ 
> 
> Love, Junie. 
> 
> (find me on tumblr @hopesilverheart)


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